Parmesan Slider Rolls

ShawndaOctober 1, 2007

I stumbled across the recipe for Parmesan Cheese Bread on the Williams-Sonoma site when I was looking for something special for slider buns. The bread was flavored far more subtly than I expected but it worked well as a component of Italian-style sliders. If I were serving these rolls alone and not as a component of a sandwich, I’d definitely increase the cheese next time by half.

Parmesan Slider Buns

Subtly flavored rolls perfect for sliders.

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more as needed

1 pkg active dry yeast

2 tsp salt

1 1/3 cups warm water

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Olive oil, for brushing

1 egg yolk

Instructions

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, add the warm water and sprinkle yeast over it. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Add the flour and salt and mix on low.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over the dough.

Knead on low until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl and then increase the mixer speed to medium and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball, brush it with a little olive oil and return it to the bowl. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Use a greased/silpat-lined baking sheet (I also used a 9-inch pan for larger rolls out of the excess dough).

Place the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on a plate.

Punch down the dough. Return it to the floured work surface and knead a few times. Then, using your palms, roll the dough to form a log about 12 inches long.

Cut the log in half crosswise, then cut each half into 6 pieces (I made rolls the size of golf balls for sliders and got ~2 dozen).

Fold the dough under into into a ball, roll it in the cheese to coat lightly and evenly, shaking off any excess. As each ball is coated, place it in the pan/cookie sheet and press down slightly to form a 2-inch disk.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425.

Beat the egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and brush the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle the top with the cheese remaining on the plate.

Using a razor blade or sharp knife, cut a shallow slash in the top of each ball.

Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 and continue baking until brown and crusty, 10 minutes more.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the rolls rest in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them from the pan.